ABUSE TRACKER

PERU
La Primera

[Summary: The pedophilia case that caused removal of Gabino Miranda Melgarejo as auxiliary bishop of Ayacucho will go unpunished if the Vatican decides not to give information required by the Ayacucho prosecutor. Prosecutor Garry Chavez Valdivia said without the testimony the prosecutor has no basis to act and the case could go unpunished.]

El caso de pedofilia que originó la destitución del obispo auxiliar de Ayacucho, Gabino Miranda Melgarejo, podría quedar en la impunidad si el Vaticano decide no darle la información que requiere el fiscal de Ayacucho, Garry Chávez Valdivia, para profundizar las investigaciones del caso.

“Sin los testimonios la denuncia fiscal no tendrá fundamentos y el caso podría quedar en la impunidad”, dijo el periodista Pedro Salinas, quien considera que el Vaticano tiene que ser consecuente con la “Tolerancia cero” que pregona bajo el mando del papa Benedicto XVI y demostrar a la Iglesia peruana que sí quiere investigar y sancionar este tipo de delitos.

El fiscal Chávez Valdivia hizo el pedido a través de la Fiscalía de la Nación, que a su vez debe hacer el trámite por intermedio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, a fin de que la Santa Sede colabore con la justicia peruana.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Balaton Zeitung

[Summary: Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, who heads the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has defended Limburg Bishop Franz-Peter van Elst Tebartz, He said the allegations against the bishop are an invention of journalists and are media campaign. Mueller said high construction costs of the bishop’s new house were due to employees rather than the bishop. Tebartz van Elst wanted to fly to Rome on Saturday to forestall a visit by Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, who chairs the German Bishops Conference. Zollitsch intends to meet with Pope Francis about the situation in the Limburg diocese.]

Der Präfekt der Glaubenskongregation, Erzbischof Gerhard Ludwig Müller, hat dem umstrittenen Limburger Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst den Rücken gestärkt. Während einer Messe in der Kirche des römischen Campo Santo Teutonico über das Evangelium und die Dämonen sagte Müller am Freitagabend, dass es sich bei den Vorwürfen gegen den Bischof um eine “Erfindung von Journalisten” und eine “Medienkampagne” handle. Das berichtet die Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (F.A.S.).

Für die hohen Baukosten für das Bischöfliche Haus in Limburg sei nicht der Bischof verantwortlich, die Verantwortung liege vielmehr bei dessen Mitarbeitern. Tebartz-van Elst will noch an diesem Samstag nach Rom fliegen, um dem Vorsitzenden der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, Erzbischof Robert Zollitsch, zuvorzukommen. Zollitsch will Papst Franziskus im Laufe der Woche über die Vorgänge im Bistum Limburg informieren, die er selbst als untragbar erachtet. Nach F.A.S.-Informationen hält Zollitsch ungeachtet der neueren Entwicklungen an seinem Besuchsprogramm fest, das am Montag beginnt. Der Erzbischof wolle sich nicht unter Druck setzen lassen, erfuhr die F.A.S. aus Kirchenkreisen. (dts Nachrichtenagentur)

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DEUTSCHLAND
SWR

[Summary: Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz van Elst had planned to fly to Rome in a move to meet with Pope Francis but has cancelled the trip. According to Bild, he did not want a media frenzy.]

Der Limburger Bischof Franz-Peter Tebart-van Elst ist offenbar doch nicht nach Rom geflogen: Einem Bericht der “Bild”-Zeitung zufolge hat der umstrittene Geistliche seine Reise zu Papst Franziskus storniert. Offenbar habe er so einem Medienrummel entgehen wollen, heißt es.
Der Limburger katholische Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst und der Vorsitzende der katholischen Deutschen Bischofskonferenz Erzbischof Robert Zollitsch (Freiburg)

Die “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” (FAS) hatte zuvor berichtet, Tebartz-van Elst wolle um 16.35 Uhr vom Frankfurter Flughafen nach Rom fliegen. Offenbar wollte der Limburger Oberhirte dafür sorgen, dass im Vatikan mit ihm statt über ihn gesprochen wird – denn in der kommenden Woche will Erzbischof Robert Zollitsch das Problem mit dem Papst erörtern. Damit wären Tebartz-van Elst und der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, Zollitsch, zeitgleich in Rom gewesen.
Zollitsch hatte angekündigt, bei seinem Besuch mit Papst Franziskus über die Situation im Bistum Limburg sprechen zu wollen. Gleichzeitig hatte er sich ungewöhnlich deutlich von Tebartz-van Elst distanziert; falls gegen diesen ein Strafbefehl wegen Falschaussage erginge, sei das ein Wendepunkt. Gefragt, warum er dem Limburger Bischof noch keinen Rückzug nahegelegt habe, erklärte Zollitsch am Donnerstag: “Ich bitte um Verständnis, dass ich das, was ich dort (in Rom; Anm. d. Red.) vorschlagen werde, nicht vorher über die Presse sage.”

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DEUTSCHLAND
Stern

Er kann einem fast schon Leid tun. Im Minutentakt laufen auf dem Kurznachrichtendienst Twitter Schmähungen und Beschimpfungen gegen den Limburger Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst ein. Unter den Hashtags #Tebartz, #Prassprediger oder #Protzbischof machen die User in tausenden Kommentaren ihrem Unmut über den 31 Millionen teuren Neubau des Bischofssitzes, den prunkvollen Lebensstil und die Uneinsichtichkeit des Kirchenmannes Luft. Noch am harmlosesten sind Bezeichnungen wie “Lügner” oder “kranker Mann”. Der Bischof ist zur Hassfigur geworden.

Doch neben vielen Beleidigungen und Rücktrittsforderungen sind es vor allem bissige und satirische Kommentare, die unter Nutzern die Runde machen. Vor allem die extravagante Inneneinrichtung seines Privathauses ist Anlass für Hohn und Spott. Mal wird über die 15.000 Euro teure Badewanne gelästert, in die der katholische Bischof alleine steigen muss, mal wird ihm vorgeschlagen, das Bernsteinzimmer zur Vervollständigung seiner Inneneinrichtung aufzukaufen. Die “FAZ”-Charikaturisten Greser&Lenz mutmaßen sogar über eine Kegelbahn im Limburger Domberg.

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GERMANY
The Local

The lavish lifestyle of a bishop who is spending €31 million on building a new headquarters in west Germany was exposed on Friday, when it emerged he has spent €783,000 on a garden, €25,000 on a table and €15,000 on a bath tub.

The bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, has been heavily criticized for the luxurious complex being built next to Limburg Cathedral in the state of Hesse. Earlier this week it emerged the costs had overrun by ten times the initial estimate from around €3 million to €31 million.

And on Friday Bild newspaper published a breakdown of the costs of the pricey project. They include €350,000 on built-in-wardrobes, €25,000 on a conference table and €783,000 on a garden.

His own apartment in the complex is costing €3 million with €478,000 going on furnishings. Guest rooms will cost €1.1 million and the new chapel €2.67 million.

The Nassauische Neue Presse newspaper also reported on Wednesday that the bishop’s bathtub cost €15,000.

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CLEVELAND (OH)
Cleveland Leader

Published by Julie Kent on October 12, 2013

On Friday afternoon, a Cleveland priest was arrested after he was caught soliciting a plain clothed ranger at Edgewater Park for sex. The Cleveland Catholic Diocese issued a very brief statement following news of Rev. James McGonegal’s arrest, which read:

“Diocesan authorities have a policy of cooperating with civil authorities in these kinds of matters and will do so in this matter.”

McGonegal, 68, allegedly signaled a man over to his car and offered him $50 for oral sex, not knowing that the man was a Metroparks ranger in plain clothes. He also admitted to authorities that he is HIV positive.

McGonegal is a priest at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on Lorain Ave. in Cleveland, and now faces felony charges.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Insider

The Pope has chosen a new Secretary for the Congregation for Bishops: Monsignor Ilson De Jesus Montanari who up until now has been the Congregation’s minute taker

ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN CITY

Francis’ game of musical chairs continues: the face of the Roman Curia is slowly changing under the new pontificate. A week or so ago the Pope transferred the Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops, Lorenzo Baldisseri, to the General Secretariat of the Synod and is replacing him with Mgr. Ilson De Jesus Montanari from the Diocese of Riberaõ Preto. Until today Montanari had played a secondary role in the dicastery that oversees Episcopal nominations. The prelate, whom Pope Francis has known personally for about a year now, will now become Titular Archbishop of Capocilla and elevated to the dignity of archbishop.

With today’s nomination – a choice which has Francis written all over it – one of the minute takers of the dicastery led by Canadian cardinal Marc Ouellet is promoted to number two position. Although in the last ten years apostolic nuncios tended to be chosen for the role, it has recently often been the case that the Congregation’s new Secretary did not hold the title of bishop at the time of his nomination. For example, Ernesto Civardi (the dicastery’s number two man from 1967 to 1979) and Battista Re (Secretary from 1987 to 1989 and Prefect in 2000) were not bishops when they were appointed to the position.

Montanari is not the first Brazilian clergyman to be given a top position in the Congregation for Bishops: Lucas Moreira Neves was Secretary between 1979 and 1987 and then after a decade as Archbishop of San Salvador de Bahia he returned to the Vatican as the “bishop factory’s” Prefect. Mgr. Montanari left Brazil and was called to work in the Congregation in the final years of Cardinal Re’s prefecture, continuing under Ouellet, Re’s successor.

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OHIO
The Press-News

October 12, 2013

CLEVELAND (AP) — A Catholic church’s pastor has been arrested in Cleveland for allegedly soliciting sex in a park.

The Plain Dealer of Cleveland reports (http://bit.ly/1gy9F96 ) that the Rev. James McGonegal (Muh-GAHN’-ee-gul) approached a park ranger who was in plainsclothes at Edgewater Park on Friday.

Cleveland Catholic Diocese records show the 68-year-old McGonegal has been at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church since the 1980s, and has been a priest since 1971. He is the church’s pastor.

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LEBANON
The Daily Star

October 12, 2013
The Daily Star

BEIRUT: The Beirut Maronite Diocese said the case of priest Mansour Labaki was an “ecclesiastical” one to be handled by the Vatican.

In a statement issued Friday, the Diocese also urged media professionals to report on the issue “responsibly” and respect the authority of the Vatican.

News emerged this week that Labaki, 73, was convicted by the Vatican of molesting more than three children and for soliciting sex.

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CLEVELAND (OH)
Cleveland Leader

Published by Julie Kent on October 11, 2013

Cleveland Metroparks rangers report that a Cleveland priest was arrested on Friday afternoon after he allegedly solicited gay sex at Edgewater Beach.

The suspect, Rev. James McGonegal, reportedly signaled a man over to his car and offered him $50 for oral sex. As it turns out, the man he signaled to his car was a ranger in plain clothes. McGonegal is also said to have admitted to authorities that he is HIV positive.

McGonegal, 68, is a priest at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on Lorain Ave. in Cleveland that was originally slated by Cleveland Catholic Diocese Bishop Richard Lennon to close. However, the church fought the decision from the start, and eventually was successful it its appeal to remain open.

McGonegal now faces felony charges.

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CLEVELAND (OH)
newsnet5

By: Jen Steer, newsnet5.com

CLEVELAND – A man was arrested for soliciting sex at Edgewater Park on Friday.

James McGonegal offered a Cleveland Metropark ranger $50 for sex, said park spokeswoman Sanaa Julien. The ranger was not on detail and was in plain clothes at the time.

McGonegal was charged with a third-degree felony because he also admitted he knows he has HIV, Julien said.

McGonegal is a pastor at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Cleveland. The Cleveland Catholic Diocese released this brief statement Friday night:

“Diocesan authorities have a policy of cooperating with civil authorities in these kinds of matters, and will do so in this matter.”

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CLEVELAND (OH)
Fox 8

October 11, 2013, by Kara Sutyak

CLEVELAND– A Cleveland priest was arrested Friday afternoon, accused of soliciting sex at Edgewater Beach, according to Cleveland Metroparks Rangers.

Spokesperson Monica Banks Hines told FOX 8 that the suspect signaled over a man to his car and offered him $50 for oral sex.

That man turned out to be a ranger in plain clothes.

Banks Hines told FOX 8 the suspect is Rev. James McGonegal, a priest at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on Lorain Ave. in Cleveland.

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CLEVELAND (OH)
The Plain Dealer

By Ron Rutti, The Plain Dealer
on October 11, 2013

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Rev. James McGonegal was arrested Friday after he approached a park ranger for sex at Edgewater Park, according to park officials. The pending charge against the pastor of St. Ignatius of Antioch Church is a felony, since he told rangers later that he is HIV-positive, officials said.

McGonegal, 68, has been pastor at the Catholic church at Lorain Avenue and West Boulevard since into the 1980s, according to records of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese. He has been a priest since 1971.

Monica Banks Hines, a Cleveland Metroparks spokeswoman, said the ranger was off-duty and in civilian clothes. The Metroparks recently took over operations at Edgewater Park from the state.

Hines said McMonegal was being held overnight in Cleveland City Jail.

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OHIO
WKYC

[with video]

CLEVELAND — A man was arrested at Edgewater Park Friday afternoon after he allegedly solicited an off-duty plainclothes Metroparks ranger for sex.

According to rangers spokeswoman Monica Banks Hines, James McGonegal offered the ranger $50, then admitted he was HIV positive.

According to sources with the Cleveland Metroparks, McGonegal is a priest at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on Lorain Avenue.

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PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philly.com

POSTED: October 11, 2013

A news item Wednesday about a bail reduction for the Rev. Robert L. Brennan, accused of sexually molesting an altar boy, incorrectly described the conditions of retirement imposed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The archdiocese did not require Brennan to live in Maryland.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Register

by ELISE HARRIS/CNA/EWTN NEWS 10/10/2013

VATICAN CITY — After the conclusion of their meetings, two cardinals from Pope Francis’ group of eight have revealed that Curia reform will largely focus on service to Pope Francis and the universal Church in its various locales.

“We want to change the look — that the Curia be at the service of the Pope and also at the service of the local Churches, the universal Church and the episcopal conferences,” Cardinal Oswald Gracias of India said.

Cardinal Gracias was appointed by Pope Francis as one of the eight members to the council of cardinals instituted by the Holy Father in April to advise him on matters regarding Church reform and governance.

“The vision of the Pope is an open and merciful Church,” Cardinal Gracias said, also touching on the upcoming Synod of Bishops slated to take place in October 2014.

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VATICAN CITY
Headlines from the Catholic World

Vatican City, Oct 11, 2013 / 12:10 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The vision of reforming the synod of bishops, an effort undertaken by Pope Francis, goes back to at least Pope Paul VI, who had even broader ideas for the synod, according to a leading Vatican analyst.

The synod of bishops, which acts as an advisory body to the Pope, was established by Paul VI in 1965 by the motu proprio Apostolica sollicitudo to “strengthen (the Pope’s) union” with other bishops and to “establish even closer ties” with them.

The synod consists of a group of bishops from around the world who meet at fixed times “to foster closer unity between the Roman Pontiff and bishops, to assist the Roman Pontiff with their counsel … and to consider questions pertaining to the activity of the Church in the world,” according to canon law.

Members of the synod are for the most part elected by their brother bishops for a three-year term.

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PENNSYLVANIA
ABC 23

The settlement talks continue between the alleged victims of a former Bishop McCort trainer and the Altoona Johnstown Catholic Diocese. Bishop Mark Bartchak says the Diocese is working with Attorney Richard Serbin on resolving the claims from several men who said that they were abused, by Brother Stephen Baker in the 1990’s. A Judge recently ruled that Attorney Serbin needs to file formal complaints in the next thirty days for the cases to stay active.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Tribune-Democrat

Kathy Mellott
kmellott@tribdem.com

— Out-of-court settlements in civil action by former Bishop McCort High School students who allege sexual misconduct by a former teacher are pending in a number of cases, while notice of lawsuits in others have not been filed.

Altoona attorney Richard Serbin told The Tribune-Democrat Friday that some of the seven lawsuits he has filed in Blair County court regarding Brother Stephen Baker likely will not require the filing of full civil complaints.

“We are in discussions. The defendants would prefer to resolve these rather than litigate them,” he said.

Three or four cases are in the works and notices of pending lawsuits have not been filed, Serbin said.

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PENNSYLVANIA
Altoona Mirror

October 12, 2013

By Kay Stephens ( kstephens@altoonamirror.com ), The Altoona Mirror

HOLLIDAYSBURG – Efforts are being made to resolve pending cases of suspected child abuse involving the late Brother Stephen Baker, the Altoona-Johnstown Catholic Diocese said Friday.

In response to Judge Jolene G. Kopriva’s recent order giving Altoona attorney Richard Serbin 30 days to file complaints detailing the allegations, Bishop Mark L. Bartchak revealed the ongoing effort.

“The parties believe that it would serve everyone’s interest to devote time and resources to resolving the claims as opposed to engaging in formal litigation,” Bartchak said. “We are optimistic that we can continue to work together to reach a fair and appropriate resolution.”

The pending lawsuits stem from alleged abuse at the hands of Baker, who served at Johnstown’s Bishop McCort High School as an athletic trainer in the 1990s. Baker was a Franciscan friar who was living at St. Bernardine Monastery in Hollidaysburg when he committed suicide Jan. 26.

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VATICAN CITY
Christian Science Monitor

By Nick Squires, Correspondent / October 11, 2013

Its entrance is watched over by pantaloon-wearing soldiers from the Swiss Guard, its cash-dispensing machines give instructions in Latin, and its headquarters are in a 15th-century tower that was once used as a papal prison.

But seven months into the papacy of Pope Francis, it is clear that the imposing stone walls of the Tower of Pope Nicholas V are no match for the South American pontiff’s determination to clear up the Vatican bank’s finances after years of scandal and allegations of impropriety.

The pope, who has criticized the iniquities of the international banking system since he was selected in March, has embarked on a campaign to dramatically improve the transparency and accountability of an institution that Forbes last year called “The Most Secret Bank in the World.” The bank manages funds and accounts held by the Holy See, as well as Catholic charities and orders around the world, and individual cardinals, priests, and nuns.

The latest initiative came this week, when the Vatican passed a new law designed to improve financial transparency, enhance cooperation with other countries and law enforcement agencies, and prevent money laundering and tax evasion.

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PERU
Religion Digital

[Summary: Former Auxiliary Bishop Guillermo Abanto Guzman met the little girl who was conceived with a young psychologist after a week of scandal and harsh criticism of the Peruvian Catholic church. The former bishop said he has never denied he was father of the girl.]

El ex obispo habla de su “pecado” con un canal de televisión peruano

Redacción, 12 de octubre de 2013

El exobispo auxiliar de Lima, Guillermo Abanto Guzmán, se reunió con la pequeña niña que concibió con la joven psicóloga Alexandra de la Lama Luna, tras una semana cargada de escándalo y duras críticas a la Iglesia Católica Peruana. Lo cuenta Periodismoenlínea

Según un avance de Punto Final, Abanto hace un mea culpa y asegura que nunca le negó la paternidad a la menor en entrevista exclusiva con el espacio dominical que difundió el caso.
Asimismo se difundieron fotografías de Abanto cargando a su hija. “Yo nunca he negado que esa niña es mía, yo nunca me he resistido a firmarla”, exclamó.

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PENNSYLVANIA
WJAC

Updated: Friday, October 11 2013

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. — The bishop of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese has responded to a judge’s call for lawsuits to be filed in a child sex abuse case involving a Franciscan friar.

Last week, a Blair County judge called on Altoona lawyer Richard Serbin to file complaints in the Brother Stephen Baker case within 30 days. Baker was a Franciscan friar and a former athletic trainer at Bishop McCort High School.

The subject of child abuse investigations in Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, Baker lived at St. Bernadine Monastery in Hollidaysburg when he committed suicide on Jan. 26.

Earlier this year, Serbin filed notices of pending lawsuits in at least seven cases of suspected child abuse involving Baker. But it’s been more than 120 days, and still no formal lawsuits have filed.

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OREGON
The Dalles Chronicle

By RaeLynn Ricarte
As of Friday, October 11, 2013

First Christian Church in The Dalles is being sued for millions by the female victim of a former youth minister who pleaded guilty to sex abuse in May 2013.

“I am no longer afraid and don’t want to hide, said Lindsay Carlin, 22, of The Dalles, the plaintiff in the case. “The trust I placed in my pastor and my church had a significant impact on my life, and I want to make sure the church is held accountable. Hopefully my actions will prevent this kind of thing from happening to other young people.”

Administrative staff at First Christian were called by a reporter Thursday but declined to talk about the pending legal matter. Daniel Chamberlin, 38, admitted to second-degree sexual abuse and third-degree sodomy, both Class C felonies, in March and waived his right to a trial.

He was ordered to spend 30 days in the regional jail, followed by 36 months of probation and registration as a sex offender. He cannot frequent places where children congregate but is allowed to be around his own three children without restriction.

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WYOMING
County 10

(Lander, Wyo.) – A former youth leader at a Lander church, Zachary Fuhriman, faces a new charge of third degree sexual abuse of a minor.

In April, the 29-year-old was charged with sexual exploitation of children. That charge was dismissed by the Ninth District Court of Wyoming on October 3.

The new charge carries slightly stiffer penalties than original charge. Fuhriman is facing up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted of the crime. The previous charge was punishable by 5 to 12 years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.

According to the new information filed, it is alleged that Fuhriman “knowingly took immodest, immoral or indecent liberties” with a 16-year-old female victim.

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WYOMING
Riverton Radio

Submitted by rebecca on October 11, 2013

(Lander) – A 29-year-old former church youth counselor in Lander has been charged with third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Zachary Fuhriman is accused of having sexual relations with a person he knew to be sixteen years old on occasions in December of last year and the first few months of this year.

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MINNESOTA
Minnesota Public Radio

by Tim Nelson, Minnesota Public Radio
October 11, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Pope Francis has appointed a new auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Vatican said in a release Friday morning that the Pope had named Andrew Cozzens to the high-ranking administrative post in St. Paul. The announcement said Cozzens has been an assistant professor at the St. Paul Seminary, where he has been since 2006. He is a Connecticut native and was ordained a priest for the archdiocese in 1997.

The archdiocese previously only had a single auxiliary bishop, Lee Piche. The Vatican didn’t say why it was appointing Cozzens or what role Piche may have going forward.

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UNITED STATES
Associated Baptist Press

Georgia pastor Peter Lumpkins says SBC agency heads “cannot and should not” align with individuals or organizations in ways that harm the reputation of all Southern Baptists.

By Bob Allen

A Georgia pastor and blogger says denominational officials are ignoring a resolution adopted at this year’s Southern Baptist Convention calling for a zero-tolerance policy toward the sexual abuse of children in churches.

Peter Lumpkins, who blogs at SBC Tomorrow, proposed the 2013 SBC resolution on sexual abuse of children and amended a committee-drafted version from the floor urging denominational leaders and employees to “utilize the highest sense of discernment in affiliating with groups and or individuals that possess questionable policies and practices in protecting our children from criminal abuse.”

In comments posted Oct. 10, Lumpkins said high-profile SBC leaders are carrying on with business as usual in the kind of practices that first prompted his concern.

He criticized Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Danny Akin for promoting an upcoming collegiate conference featuring C.J. Mahaney, the former head of Sovereign Grace Ministries named in a lawsuit alleging what some call the biggest evangelical sex-abuse scandal to date.

He also lamented that others appearing on the same program include Russell Moore, the recently elected president of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

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VATICAN CITY
The Independent (UK)

MICHAEL DAY
FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER 2013

In a clear sign that he wants to be seen to be tackling endemic corruption at the Vatican, Pope Francis welcomed the Church’s highest-ranking whistleblower to a special audience today.

The Pontiff tonight met Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, the Holy See’s ambassador to the US, whose letters provided the most explosive evidence to emerge from the Vatileaks scandal. Mgr Vigano’s correspondence with former Pope Benedict XVI and his No 2, the Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, suggested that he was effectively exiled in the US after attempting to lift the lid on rampant corruption in the Holy City.

Mgr Vigano served as the second-ranked administrator in the Curia – the body responsible for the administration of the Vatican – under Benedict’s reign, from July 2009 to September 2011, before his transfer to America.

His letters, leaked to the press by Benedict XVI’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, in the Vatileaks scandal, revealed how he had begged not to be transferred to the US after accusing fellow administrators of arranging corruption contracts that may have cost the Vatican millions of euros.

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CALIFORNIA
The Worthy Adversary

Posted by Joelle Casteix on October 11, 2013

As of this writing, there is no new new news on SB 131. California Governor Jerry Brown has until Sunday to sign the bill, veto it, or do nothing. If he signs the bill or does nothing, SB 131 will become law on January 1, 2014

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for victims—all victims. Why? Because ALL victims will benefit if SB 131 becomes law.

According to Brown’s website, here is the status of many of the bills that have crossed his desk:

• AB 218 by Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) – Employment applications: criminal history.
• AB 256 by Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) – Pupils: grounds for suspension and expulsion: bullying.
– See more at: http://theworthyadversary.com/2306-t-minus-2-for-sb-131#sthash.egsNDc6B.dpuf

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MINNESOTA
Catholic Sentinel

Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — Pope Francis has appointed Father Andrew Cozzens, an associate professor at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul, Minn., as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Bishop-designate Cozzens, 45, was ordained a priest of the archdiocese in 1997. He has been on the faculty of St. Paul Seminary since 2006.

The appointment was announced Oct. 11 by Msgr. Angelo Accatino, charge d’affaires at the apostolic nunciature in Washington.

The newly named bishop’s ordination Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Paul Dec. 9, which is the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

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MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter

Catholic News Service | Oct. 11, 2013

ST. PAUL, MINN. A newly formed Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards Task Force will conduct a full review of the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ policies and practices and “any and all issues” related to clergy sexual misconduct.

This includes examining how allegations of clergy sexual misconduct have been handled and what must be done to address any gaps in the process.

The findings and recommendations of the independent lay group will be released publicly when its final report is complete, according to an Oct. 6 archdiocesan statement.

The creation of the task force comes amid sexual misconduct allegations in the media concerning certain priests in the archdiocese and how their cases were handled by archdiocesan officials.

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CHILE
Soy Chile

La Corte confirmó la condena de 10 años y un día para el cura acusado de abuso en Cunco

[Summary: A criminal court convicted priest Orlando Rogel Pinuer of repated sexual abuse of four minors in Cunco in the Araucania region. He must served 10 years and one day in prison.]

La Corte de Apelaciones de Temuco confirmó la sentencia de 10 años y un día de presidio para el sacerdote Orlando Rogel Pinuer (53), condenando por abuso sexual reiterado en contra de cuatro menores de edad en Cunco, región de La Araucanía.

El Tribunal de alzada de La Araucanía rechazó el recurso de nulidad presentado por la defensa del religioso y declaró firme la condena decretada por el Tribunal del Oral en lo Penal de Temuco.

El cura de Cunco fue condenado por los delitos cometidos en contra de cuatro adolescentes ocurridos entre 2006 y 2011, cuando las víctimas tenían entre 14 y 17 años y vivían en un internado que era administrado por Rogel.

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NEW JERSEY
NJ.com

By Alex Napoliello/NJ.com
on October 11, 2013

Yeshiva University is facing scrutiny for hiring a teacher convicted of child molestation at a West Orange private school.

Akiva Roth, 42, started at the school’s Yeshiva college unit in Washington Heights at the beginning of the academic year, according to a report from The New York Post.

In 1996, Roth was arrested for exposing and touching himself to 11 – and 12-year-old boys at Solomon Schecter, the report said. He pleaded guilty to four counts of lewdness against several male students, and received 10 years probation as a result.

At the time, Roth blamed the children he abused for “enticing him into this behavior,” adding he “has very little empathy for his victims,” according to the report.

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NEW YORK
The Jewish Daily Forward

Editorial

When will Yeshiva University ever learn? When will modern American Orthodoxy’s flagship institution learn to own up to its mistakes, genuinely reform its procedures, live out its values and, above all, provide a safe and honest environment for its students?

The latest revelation, that Y.U. hired a new faculty member who had been convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior with boys, starkly illustrates the gross mismanagement and hypocrisy of the university’s current administration.

Here we have an institution reeling from allegations that for decades — decades — its leadership ignored the sexual abuse of students at the hands of at least two of its most prominent staff members.

Here we see an institution that covered up the abuse, allowed the offending rabbis to take jobs working with children elsewhere in the Jewish community and, even after the Forward uncovered this sorry and painful story, refused to acknowledge its own complicity and grasp the opportunity to help with the healing process.

Instead, Y.U. spent $2.5 million on an investigative report that its own top officials then sought to largely suppress, emphasizing instead that it is reforming its policies and procedures to prevent abuse and deal with it forthrightly if and when it occurred.

Zero tolerance was promised.

Zero tolerance was not delivered.

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NEW YORK
The Jewish Daily Forward

By Paul Berger

Yeshiva University has let go a recently hired Hebrew teacher following a Forward report that the teacher, Akiva Roth, had previous convictions for sexually inappropriate behavior with boys.

Y.U. said it had “erred” in hiring of Roth by “permitting the new hire to begin teaching before the screening process had been completed.”

Y.U. would not clarify whether Roth, 42, resigned or whether he was fired. Nor would the university clarify whether Roth had told administrators of his previous convictions when he was hired as a member of Yeshiva College’s Hebrew faculty at the end of this summer.

“While all appointments are subject to thorough background checks, the University erred in this case, permitting the new hire to begin teaching before the screening process had been completed,” a Y.U. spokesman, Matt Yaniv, said in a statement, released October 11. “Yeshiva University will continue to re-evaluate its hiring processes and work to close any gaps in our procedure.”

“After an extensive review of this matter, Mr. Roth is no longer employed by the University,” Yaniv added. “To our knowledge, he has not engaged in any inappropriate conduct during his time at Y.U.”

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NEW YORK
The American Conservative

By ROD DREHER • October 11, 2013

The Jewish Daily Forward has for the past 10 months or so been writing that the senior leadership of Yeshiva University, a major institution of Orthodox Judaism in America, covered up sexual abuse for decades. The paper now reports that Yeshiva is in serious financial trouble because of a huge lawsuit abuse victims are filing against it. And the editorial page blasted the university for its recent hire of Akiva Roth, a teacher who in 1997 pled guilty to four counts of lewdness with boys he was preparing for bar mitzvah. From the editorial:

When will Yeshiva University ever learn? When will modern American Orthodoxy’s flagship institution learn to own up to its mistakes, genuinely reform its procedures, live out its values and, above all, provide a safe and honest environment for its students?

The latest revelation, that Y.U. hired a new faculty member who had been convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior with boys, starkly illustrates the gross mismanagement and hypocrisy of the university’s current administration. Here we have an institution reeling from allegations that for decades — decades — its leadership ignored the sexual abuse of students at the hands of at least two of its most prominent staff members. Here we see an institution that covered up the abuse, allowed the offending rabbis to take jobs working with children elsewhere in the Jewish community and, even after the Forward uncovered this sorry and painful story, refused to acknowledge its own complicity and grasp the opportunity to help with the healing process.

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NEW YORK
JTA

October 11, 2013

NEW YORK (JTA) — Yeshiva University has terminated Akiva Roth, 42, after past sexual misconduct came to light.

Roth, who had been hired as a Hebrew teacher at Yeshiva College, had pled guilty to four counts of abuse against boys he tutored for their bar mitzvahs in 1997. He received ten years of probation.

“Mr. Roth is no longer employed by the University,” said a statement released Friday. To the university’s knowledge, “he has not engaged in any inappropriate conduct during his time at YU.”

The university admitted that it had “erred” by allowing Roth to begin teaching before his background check was completed.

The university has been at the center of a recent firestorm of controversy after alumni filed a lawsuit alleging years of abuse from multiple faculty members.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, Oct. 11, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

The St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese is getting a new assistant bishop, Fr. Andrew H. Cozzens. This isn’t reform.

Catholic bishops and church lawyers are causing this scandal. So this week, the archdiocese is getting an extra bishop and more church lawyers. (The head of the new abuse ‘task force’ is a lawyer, as are several members of the panel. The person Archbishop John Nienstedt picked to pick the ‘task force,’ Fr. Reginald Whitt, is also a lawyer.)

The church faces a clergy sex crime and cover up crisis, and has for decades. As best we can tell, Bishop Cozzens has done virtually nothing in his clerical career to deal with this crisis. So in our desperation to see things improve, let’s not leap to optimistic conclusions that have no basis in reality.

It’s also discouraging that he’s a local guy. If anything can be done internally to expose and punish wrongdoers, it will take a courageous outsider, not a popular insider.

When predator priests are in trouble, bishops often shuffle him elsewhere. And when a complicit bishop is in trouble, often other church staff and titles and offices get shuffled. That’s what’s happening here. So this move in no way represents progress.

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MINNESOTA
The Mankato Free Press

ST. PAUL (AP) — The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is getting a new auxiliary bishop.

The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis has appointed Andrew Cozzens to the high-ranking administrative post.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports Cozzens has been an assistant professor at the St. Paul Seminary since 2006. He is a Connecticut native and has been a priest since 1997.

The archdiocese has previously had a single auxiliary bishop, Lee Piche. It’s unclear why Cozzens is being appointed or what role Piche might have going forward.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Friday, October 11, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy, Executive Director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, 7234 Arsenal Street, St. Louis MO 63143 ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )

A priest who was found guilty of child sex abuse by a jury is still a priest, is unsupervised, lives in a $500,000 lakeside home and gets extra payments above his retirement.

Minnesota Public Radio disclosed that Fr. Robert Kapoun, who was found guilty of abuse in 1996, also spends half of each year living in Florida.

[Minnesota Public Radio]

Archbishop Nienstedt’s action in this case is the perfect storm of recklessness callousness and deceit.

It’s reckless to let a proven serial predator priest live unsupervised.

It’s callous to give a proven serial predator priest bonus pay.

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VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

John L. Allen Jr. | Oct. 11, 2013 All Things Catholic

If a Las Vegas casino had opened a betting line eight months ago on the likelihood that within a year the most popular figure on the planet would be the pope, one has to imagine the odds would have been awfully long.

Yet that’s basically today’s situation, as Francis continues to garner acclaim and admiration from almost every quarter, most recently for a moving Oct. 4 visit to Assisi and for confirming his desire to reach out to divorced and remarried Catholics by announcing a Synod of Bishops in October 2014 dedicated to the family and marriage.

The “almost” in that sentence, however, is important because while Francis remains a smash hit overall, he’s also got a budding “older son” problem.

The reference is to the parable of the prodigal son, a template many observers are now applying to Catholic reaction to the new pope. Over his first eight months, Francis basically has killed the fatted calf for the prodigal sons and daughters of the post-modern world, reaching out to gays, women, nonbelievers, and virtually every other constituency inside and outside the church that has felt alienated. …

I’ve said before that tracking the story of financial reform in the Vatican is often like watching a pingpong match. For every sign of progress, there’s usually also a reminder of the work left to be done.

So it was again this week, as the Vatican under Francis adopted a tough new anti-money-laundering law and continued to promote change at the Vatican bank at the same moment that Italian prosecutors continued to garner stories of corruption and shady practices from a former Vatican accountant.

The new law, formally “Law N. XVIII of the Vatican City State on the Matter of Transparency, Vigilance and Financial Information,” was adopted Tuesday and announced Wednesday. In essence, it establishes the Financial Information Authority, a watchdog unit created under Benedict XVI, not only as the Vatican’s financial intelligence unit with the power to flag suspect transactions, but also as its “prudential supervisor,” which means anybody who wants to conduct financial operations in the Vatican needs its approval.

The law also creates a sanctions regime for violation of anti-money-laundering protocols in an effort to bring the Vatican’s legislation in line with internationally accepted standards.

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MINNESOTA
National Catholic Reporter

Pope Francis has named Fr. Andrew H. Cozzens new auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Cozzens was assistant professor at St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in Saint Paul, Minnesota, according to Vatican radio.

The appointment comes as Archbishop John Nienstedt is under fire for the way his archdiocese handled an alleged pornography cover-up inside his chancery. The archdiocese has been accused of withholding from police images of child pornography that were on a priest’s laptop, deciding instead to place the evidence in a church-owned vault.

Nienstedt’s top deputy resigned abruptly last week in response to the allegation that he covered up evidence of the child pornography.

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VATICAN CITY
Vatican Information Service

Vatican City, 11 October 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father: …

– appointed Rev. Andrew H. Cozzens, U.S.A., as auxiliary of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (area 17,225, population 3,231,000, Catholics 839,000, priests 444, permanent deacons 214, religious 777), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Stamford, U.S.A. in 1968 and was ordained a priest in 1997. He holds a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) and has served in a number of pastoral and roles, including parish vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Paul and in the parish “Sacred Heart-Saint Lawrence-Immaculate Conception” at Faribault, chaplain for the Missionaries of Charity in Rome, and assistant director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship. He is currently assistant professor, formator and director of worship at the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, Saint Paul, member of the Mission Advisory Council and Corporate Board of the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha, and of the St. Paul’s Outreach Board of Directors at Saint Paul, and co-chaplain of the Twin Cities Serra Club. He is a founding member of the diocesan priestly association “Companions of Christ”.

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UNITED STATES
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

October 1, 2013

Bishops will vote for new president, vice-president, chairmen and board members
Votes on Spanish and English liturgical items on agenda
Will also hear proposal for formal statement on pornography

WASHINGTON—The annual fall General Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will be November 11-14, at the Baltimore Waterfront Marriott Hotel. During the meeting, the bishops will hear addresses by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of USCCB, and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The bishops will also hear a report from the National Advisory Council and a report on the status of their strategic/pastoral plan, The New Evangelization: Faith, Worship, Witness. They will elect the next president and vice president of USCCB, the chairman of the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education, the chairmen-elect of five other USCCB committees, and members of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Incorporated (CLINIC) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) boards.

Other agenda items include:
• Discussions and votes on the 2014 Conference budget and 2015 diocesan assessment
• Consultation on the sainthood cause of Mary Teresa Tallon, Servant of God
• Discussions and votes on the Misal Romano, the Spanish translation of the book of prayers at Mass, and adaptations to it for use in the United States
• Discussions and votes on the draft translations of the Order of Celebrating Marriage and the Order of Confirmation, as well as proposed adaptations for the Order of Celebrating Marriage
• An update by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on the Promotion and Defense of Marriage
• Presentation for a proposal to develop a formal statement on pornography
• Presentation by Bishop Gerald R. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, chairman of CRS, and Carolyn Woo, CRS president, on the work and strategic priorities of CRS
• An update and discussion on the Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty
• Discussions and votes on proposed revisions to the USCCB handbook and regulations

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UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON OCTOBER 09, 2013

One big meeting of Catholic officials has ended. Another meeting takes place next month. And at both, a huge “the elephant in the room” was ignored.

Last week in Rome, the new “Council of Cardinals” met with Pope Francis for three days. According to papal spokesman Fr. Frederico Lombardi “the sex abuse issue did not come up during the G-8 meeting.”

[National Catholic Reporter]

Next month, hundreds of US bishops gather in Baltimore. Here’s their agenda:

[United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]

Again, there will be no mention whatsoever of clergy sex crimes and cover ups.

At least there will a “changing of the guard” at the top of the USCCB next month. Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s term as president expires. In recent years, he has been awful on abuse and cover up in his archdiocese.

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UNITED STATES
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

David Clohessy

Last week, while many Catholic eyes were focused on new and hopeful moves to streamline the home office, the supervisors in the field offices were focused on very old and depressing moves to do what’s long been done: ignore, conceal, and “spin” child sex crimes and cover-ups.

And while in Rome all seems to have gone swimmingly, in US chancery offices all hell was breaking loose.

In St. Paul, a police report surfaced saying that St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese staff withheld evidence of likely child porn and now the alleged sex offender can’t be criminally charged. (And in the wake of a different but new child sex scandal there, the vicar general also stepped down this week.)

In Trenton, Bishop David O’Connell essentially admits that, for months, he has hidden the fact that one of his priests sent 1,200 inappropriate sexual text messages to what he thought was a teenaged boy and had sexually harassed at least five teenagers and young men, some of whom were seminarians.

In Chicago, a suspended and credibly accused archdiocesan priest who faces three allegations has taken a secular job counseling grieving families, and Cardinal Francis George claims he’s powerless to stop this.

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OREGON
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, October 10, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, 314-862-7688 SNAPdorris@gmail.com

We are appalled that this criminal would pretend to have been victimized. Shame on him. We are grateful he was caught.

[Claims Journal]

Thankfully, the rate of wrongful allegations against clerics continues to be extraordinarily low:

[BishopAccountability.org]

We hope this sad crime won’t deter others who were indeed sexually assaulted as kids from coming forward, getting help, protecting children, exposing wrongdoers and beginning to heal.

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MASSACHUSETTS
The Pilot

Cardinal Seán O’Malley has granted senior priest/retirement status to Father Eugene P. Sullivan. Until July 1, 2013 he had been pastor at St. Francis Xavier parish in Weymouth.

Eugene Sullivan was born in Boston’s Brighton section on May 3, 1936; his parents were the late Jeremiah and Mary Sullivan who raised their family in St. Columbkille parish. Young Gene completed his elementary school studies at the parish school (1949) under the watchful eye of the Sisters of St. Joseph. He went across the city to Boston College High School (1953) and returned to the easier commute at Boston College graduating in the class of 1957. He received an M. Ed. from Boston State College in 1958 on for the next five years taught in the Woburn Public Schools (1958-1963).

He entered St. John’s Seminary in the fall of 1963, a member of the class of 1968. Following his ordination by Cardinal Cushing at Holy Cross Cathedral on May 29, 1968 he was appointed assistant at St. Joseph Parish in Holbrook, serving there until 1971.

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CALIFORNIA
Appeal-Democrat

October 10, 2013

By Monica Vaughan/A-D Reporter

A Catholic priest from Colombia charged with misdemeanor counts of sexual battery and child molestation of a 16-year-old Yuba City girl took the stand on Thursday in Sutter County Superior Court to testify in his own defense.

Defense attorney Markus Dombois said in his closing statement the incident is a cultural misunderstanding and that the girl is lying about the night of the incident for attention.

“I believe she lied. One little lie can snowball and knock down a chalet,” Dombois said.

Prosecutor Deputy District Attorney Anu Chopra said the defendant is using his culture and language as a crutch and that he knows what he did was wrong.

“No priest in any country should ever touch a child the way this man touched (her),” Chopra said.

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UNITED KINGDOM
Kent Online

by Anna Young
ayoung@thekmgroup.co.uk

A former Maidstone priest has been jailed for raping and molesting two boys – nine years after his secretary first alerted police.

Sarah Haines has spoken of the shock and sadness of discovering her former boss and trusted family friend had been sentenced to 13 years in prison after admitting 17 sex attacks.

He is Phillip Challis, 52, who served at Holy Family Catholic Church, in Park Wood, from 1996 to 2003.

Now his former assistant has lashed out at the authorities, who failed to act when she first raised concerns.

She said: “The church did not help me. They swept it under the carpet. No one took me seriously.

“He was a family friend, he babysat my children and came to family parties.”

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MINNESOTA
KARE

[with video]

Allen Costantini

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (SNAP) held an emotional news conference in front of the Chancellory of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Thursday. Alleged priest sex abuse victim Dale Scheffler spoke passionately about the man he says abused him when he was 10 or 11 years old.

The man is still a priest and reportedly living comfortably, according to Minnesota Public Radio, with a pension and bonus payments, which Sheffler regards as an outrage. The man was convicted of abusing Scheffler in the 1990’s, but the conviction was overturned on appeal because of a legal technicality.

“How can you allow this to happen?” called Scheffler. “How does he feel that he does not have to register? Does not the law state you have to register?”

The priest has not had to register as a sex offender because he was convicted in civil court, not criminal court and the case was overturned.

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MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 10/10/2013

A woman parishioner told Maplewood police that she was “led into” a sexual relationship with her pastor while seeking religious and spiritual guidance from him, according to a search warrant affi-davit.

The Rev. Mark Huberty, a priest at the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, met the woman in 2008, and she later went to him for counseling, she told police, according to an affidavit for a search warrant filed Thursday in Ramsey County District Court in Maplewood.

Huberty, 43, has not been charged with a crime.

It is a felony for members of the clergy to have a sexual relationship with a person they are counseling or to whom they are providing spiritual advice.

The search warrant sought files and documents related to Huberty at the 226 Summit Ave. offices of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and from archdiocese attorneys with the law firm Meier, Kennedy & Quinn, on Wednesday.

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MINNESOTA
KSTP

[with video]

A day after the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced creation of a task force to review policies regarding child sex abuse by priests, critics protested outside church headquarters. Members of SNAP, “Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,” organized the protest by a handful of supporters.

Among them was Dale Scheffler, a 46-year old man who won a civil suit against the archdiocese in 1996 but had his $1 million judgment reversed by an appeals court.

“Why are they saying they’re going to form another board?” Scheffler asked. “I’ve heard so much about these boards it’s sickening.”

Scheffler was abused by a priest more than 30 years ago. He says the only answer is for the church to turn over all of its records about allegations against priests to law enforcement.

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POLEN
KerkNet

BRUSSEL (KerkNet/Kathpress) – De Poolse bisschoppen keurden deze week tijdens hun overleg een omvattend programma met een serie maatregelen voor de bestrijding van seksueel misbruik goed. De maatregelen hebben betrekking op de bijstand voor slachtoffers en de bestraffing van geestelijken die zich aan seksueel misbruik van minderjarigen hebben schuldig gemaakt. Slachtoffers kunnen niet enkel aanspraak maken op geestelijke bijstand, maar indien zij dat wensen ook op gratis therapeutische hulp.

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POLAND
Daily Mail (UK)

The top Catholic bishop in Poland has apologised for blaming divorce for encouraging paedophilia in comments that the church have described as ‘a slip of the tongue’.

Archbishop Jozef Michalik sparked outrage when he said earlier this week that sex abuse was the result of people ‘looking for love’, and appeared to suggest that divorce could be just as harmful to children as paedophilia.

But he has since apologised for the anger caused by his comments and claimed that they were taken out of context.

After his comments sparked fury among Polish social media users, the episcopate called a press conference in a bid to try and calm the situation.

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VATICAN CITY
Gazzetta del Sud

(By Denis Greenan). Vatican City, October 10 – In another sign that he is taking energetic steps to change the governance that at times seemed to baffle his predecessor, Pope Francis on Thursday conferred with the Vatican official whose allegations led to the Vatileaks scandal. There was no official statement after Francis received the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Carlo Maria Vigano’, but Vatican watchers saw the talks as part of a shake-up including stopping cronyism and lobbies – including a gay one – and cleaning up the scandal-plagued Vatican Bank, IOR. Vigano’ was formerly the second-ranked administrator to Pope Benedict XVI, serving as secretary-general of the governatorate of Vatican City State from July 2009 to September 2011. In letters to Benedict XVI and to Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, Vigano’ begged not to be transferred to the US for blowing the whistle on alleged corruption that may have cost the Vatican millions of euros in inflated procurement contracts. Vigano’s correspondence was stolen and leaked to the press by Benedict XVI’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, giving rise to the Vatileaks scandal that reverberated around the world amid a media feeding frenzy. The Vatican court sentenced Gabriele to 18 months in prison for theft in October 2012. Pope Benedict XVI pardoned the former butler in December 2012.

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PERU
La Republica

Precisiones. Señaló que hasta el momento no hay elementos suficientes ni indicios para el esclarecimiento de este caso. Por otro lado, el cardenal Cipriani instó al ex obispo Guillermo Abanto que reconozca a su hija.

Elías Navarro.
Ayacucho.

Con el fin de conocer con precisión los hechos que motivaron la destitución del obispo auxiliar de Ayacucho, Gabino Miranda Melgarejo, el fiscal de Ayacucho, Garry Chávez Valdivia, ha solicitado al Vaticano la remisión de copias certificadas del expediente sobre su caso.

El pedido de Chávez se efectuó a través de la Fiscalía de la Nación, instancia que deberá tramitarla por intermedio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, a fin de que la Santa Sede colabore con la justicia peruana.

De esa manera, podría conocerse quién o quiénes son los agraviados, y en mérito a ello profundizar las investigaciones preliminares necesarias antes de emitir un pronunciamiento.

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PERU
Terra

Perú: investigación fiscal a obispo acusado de pedofilia podría llegar al Vaticano

[The Vatican’s transparency in religious sex scandals could be tested if Peruvian civil authorities decide to inquire about the removal of Gabino Miranda, auxiliary bishop of Ayacucho. Prosecutors are investigating Miranda for alleged pedophilia. The request should not affect relations between Peru and the Vatican because they are trying to clarify commission of an alleged crime, according to jurist Diego Garcia Sayan. The judicial investigation stalled Thursday after it became known that documents submitted by the Peruvian church were insufficient to determine what happened. The Miranda case could be the first case where a bishop was publicly sanctioned by the Vatican since Pope Francis became head of the Catholic church. The case is covered under “pontifical secrecy.” ]

La transparencia del Vaticano en escándalos sexuales de religiosos podría ser puesta a prueba si Perú decide solicitar información sobre la destitución del obispo de Ayacucho, Gabino Miranda, a quien la fiscalía investiga por un caso de presunta pedofilia.

“Ese pedido (de información) no debe afectar las relaciones entre Perú y el Vaticano, porque se trata de esclarecer la comisión de un presunto delito”, dijo a la AFP el jurista peruano Diego García Sayán, presidente de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.

La investigación judicial se estancó luego de que se conociera este jueves que el fiscal Gary Chávez, encargado del caso, admitiera que la documentación entregada por la iglesia peruana es insuficiente para poder determinar lo que ocurrió.

El caso Miranda sería el primero de un obispo que sobre abusos sexuales que el Vaticano sanciona públicamente desde que el papa Francisco sucedió a Benedicto XVI al frente de la iglesia católica en marzo pasado, aunque amparado bajo “el secreto pontificio”.

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NEW YORK
CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Three rabbis and seven other men allegedly conspired to kidnap and use cattle prods, among other methods, to force Orthodox Jewish men into divorcing their wives, authorities said.

Among those charged Thursday were rabbis Mendel Epstein, 68, and Martin Wolmark, 55, as well as Ariel Potash and a fourth individual known as “Yaakov.” The 10 suspects were arraigned in federal court in Trenton, N.J.

The arrests were announced after the FBI raided several locations overnight, including Yeshiva Shaarei Torah in Suffern, a home in Brooklyn and at least one other location in New Jersey.

Epstein and Wolmark allegedly charged wives and their families thousands of dollars to obtain a religious divorce from recalcitrant husbands by means of kidnapping and violence, according to the criminal complaint.

Potash and Yaakov are accused of assisting the rabbis in obtaining the divorces, authorities said.

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FRANCE
La Croix

[Priest serving child molestation sentence in Lebanon monastery – The Daily Star]

Par décret du 19 juin 2013, la Congrégation pour la doctrine de la foi a interdit de toute célébration et intervention publiques cette figure emblématique, au Liban et en France, de l’aide à l’enfance en détresse.

Connu au Liban et en France pour son action en faveur de l’enfance en détresse, le P. Mansour Labaky a rejoint la douloureuse liste de prêtres condamnés pour pédophilie. Le 19 juin, la Congrégation pour la doctrine de la foi l’a reconnu coupable d’abus sexuels sur trois mineures, ainsi que de « crime de sollicitation (NDLR : sexuelle) à l’occasion de la confession à l’égard d’une victime ».

En vertu des « normes pour les délits les plus graves », appliquées dans ce type d’affaire, ce prêtre du diocèse maronite de Beyrouth, âgé de 73 ans, a été condamné à une vie de prière et de pénitence loin de tout mineur et privé de son office ecclésiastique ; il lui a été défendu de célébrer la messe en public et de confesser, de mener tout accompagnement spirituel, activité publique et prise de parole dans les médias, ou d’entretenir un contact avec les victimes.

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ROME
La Croix (France)

Dans une lettre datée du 4 octobre 2013, le cardinal Velasio De Paolis, délégué pontifical pour la Légion du Christ et le mouvement Regnum Christi, a convoqué le chapitre général extraordinaire de la congrégation. Celui-ci débutera le 8 janvier 2014 et devrait se terminer à la fin du mois de février. Ce chapitre aura lieu à Rome et sera composé de délégués d’office (gouvernement général et provinciaux) et de délégués élus dans chaque province.

« Le chapitre général doit représenter tout l’institut et être “un vrai signe de son unité dans la charité” (Code de droit canonique, can. 631, § 1). Étant donné que le prochain chapitre extraordinaire se situe au terme d’un long chemin de renouveau spirituel et aura pour objectif principal de conclure la révision des Constitutions, il a été convenu, en réponse, notamment, au souhait de beaucoup, d’élargir la représentativité des membres élus », écrit le cardinal de Paolis qui détaille les modalités des élections.

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IRELAND
Irish Independent

DAVID QUINN – 11 OCTOBER 2013

If a bishop ought to resign for failing to pass on information about child abusers to police, then what about major public figures such as Gerry Adams?

Four bishops have resigned over child protection failings in the last few years, namely Brendan Comiskey, Donal Murray, Jim Moriarty and John Magee.

In the case of Jim Moriarty and Donal Murray, they were not even in charge of child protection policy at the time the failures took place. They were assistant (that is, ‘auxiliary’) bishops in the archdiocese of Dublin.

Jim Moriarty resigned because he came to the view that he had failed to challenge a miserably deficient child protection system.

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POLAND
National Catholic Reporter

Jonathan Luxmoore Catholic News Service | Oct. 10, 2013

WARSAW, POLAND Poland’s Catholic bishops apologized for sexual abuse of children by priests and defended the Polish church’s record on tackling abuse.

During their plenary meeting in the Polish capital, the bishops also announced that they had tightened procedures for handling abuse allegations.

“The pedophilia problem is appearing in schools, sports clubs and facilities for education and upbringing, but also, it pains us to admit, in church circles,” the bishops’ conference said in a statement Wednesday at the close of the meeting.

“We apologize for those clergy who have harmed children and are doing everything in our power so such situations are not repeated in future. We offer and will continue to offer pastoral and therapeutic help to harmed children and young people, and we stress there is no tolerance for pedophilia,” the bishops said.

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FRANCE
Affaire LBK

Analyse de Joëlle Haroun, professeur de psychologie à la faculté des lettres et à la faculté de santé publique à l’Université libanaise paru dans le quotidien L’Orient-le-Jour en juillet 2012

Les cas d’abus sexuel contre les enfants est un vrai problème de notre société. Toutefois, la vigilance est de mise dans l’établissement du verdict, tous les cas reportés ne sont nécessairement pas vrais.

Joëlle Haroun, professeur de psychologie à la faculté des lettres et à la faculté de santé publique à l’Université libanaise, met en garde contre une éventuelle « falsification » des faits par les enfants, comme c’était le cas du procès d’Outreau, en France, dans le cadre duquel dix-huit personnes étaient incriminées. Ce procès avait débouché sur une erreur judicaire, les enfants avouant, près de cinq ans plus tard, avoir menti.

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NEW YORK
Courthouse News Service

By BARBARA LEONARD

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CN) – The director of religious education at a church in Brooklyn was a known child abuser who molested a boy in his care, the alleged victim claims in court.

Brandon Luis Otero says his sexual abuse occurred while he was enrolled in after-school CCD program at St. Lucy’s – St. Patrick’s Church in 2008 and 2009.

The Catholic Church administers the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, also known as catechism or CCD, to public school children who would otherwise not have religious education.

Otero’s alleged attacker, Angelo Serrano, is described in the complaint as a volunteer for the Brooklyn diocese and director of religious education at St. Lucy’s – St. Patrick’s.

The Revs. Frank Shannon and Stephen Lynch were responsible for hiring Serrano, according to the complaint in King’s County Superior Court.

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MINNESOTA
Hometown Focus

COOK – Nationally and internationally, the Evangelical Covenant Church addresses sexual assault and its related concern, domestic violence, through the Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA) initiative. Seeking to inform, educate, and raise awareness in their congregations and communities, the Evangelical Covenant Church of Cook is beginning a healing group which will meet on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m.

The Evangelical Covenant Women (ECW) of Cook hosted an informative Women’s Brunch on Saturday, Oct. 5. Since the church’s inception in 1914, Covenant Women have remained committed to advancing God’s kingdom through ministries that equip women to grow, serve and reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished by connecting women in transformational relationships and uniting them in Christ to impact our world.

There is an epidemic affecting one out of every four women. They suffer behind closed doors, most often concealing their pain, fearful of those on both sides of the door. These are the victims of abuse. They are neighbors, co-workers, friends and loved ones. Victims of abuse come from all walks of life, and this epidemic knows no boundaries.

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MARYLAND
SoMdNews

By KATIE FITZPATRICK
Staff Writer

A former Chesapeake Beach church pastor who was indicted in November on charges including child abuse and sex offense was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday in Calvert County Circuit Court.

Douglas W. Myers, 64, of Florida was indicted in November on 13 counts of custodial child abuse, three counts of third-degree sex offense and six counts of second-degree sex offense for allegedly abusing three boys, of whom he had temporary custody, between March 30, 1995, and March 26, 2001.

He entered Alford pleas Tuesday to three counts of custodial child abuse, and the remaining charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement with the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office.

An Alford plea acknowledges the state might have evidence for a conviction but does not admit guilt.

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MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press

By Emily Gurnon
egurnon@pioneerpress.com
POSTED: 10/10/2013

A Twin Cities man who won a 1996 civil case alleging sexual abuse by Rev. Robert Kapoun said Thursday he is sickened at the Roman Catholic church’s response to reports of predator priests.

Dale Scheffler, speaking at a news conference outside the offices of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, said he did not understand why church officials were convening another clergy misconduct board.

“Why are they saying they’re gonna start another board? I’ve heard so much about these boards — it’s sickening,” Scheffler said. “It makes your stomach turn.”

The archdiocese said Sunday that it was forming a Safe Environment and Ministerial Standards Task Force to examine policies and procedures of the archdiocese in the area of clergy misconduct. It met for the first time Wednesday.

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MINNESOTA
WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A national group of victims of sexual abuse by priests protested outside the headquarters of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on Thursday.

The demonstrators spoke out against the new panel the archdiocese has created, to investigate abuse allegations.

One of those speaking out was Dale Scheffler. In the mid-90s, a civil jury found the Rev. Robert Kapoun had molested Scheffler when he was a boy.

Scheffler said the panel will just allow the Archdiocese to cover up abuse allegations.

The verdict against Kapoun was later overturned because the statute of limitations had run out.

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UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter

Isabella R. Moyer | Oct. 10, 2013

Bloggers muse and ponder on the issues of the day. We rant and rave. We dream and vision. The challenge comes when someone asks us, “So? What should we do about it?”

My last NCR blog post was titled, “Pope Francis asks us to be the reform we want to see.” As I was writing, I was increasingly aware that I was speaking in generalities. Paragraphs were filled with nice-sounding words that painted a utopian picture and with platitudes that pointed to some ephemeral “what could be” if we only tried to “be the reform we want to see.”

A kind reader sent me an email asking for more. He liked the tone of the post but wondered about the practicalities of reform. How do we make it come about? For example, what if we are the unlucky ones stuck with a mediocre or dysfunctional parish or pastor? Pope Francis is challenging mediocrity and clericalism from the top. How do we do challenge the same on the local level? …

Many years ago, my parish lived through the dark ages of an authoritarian priest. He happened to be the sidekick to an even more authoritarian bishop. It was a sadly dysfunctional time in the diocese as a whole. Heads were rolling. Priests and laity were being dismissed without explanation. Lines were being drawn in the sand. Folks sucked it up, grumbled and stayed, or they spoke out and quickly found themselves on the other side of the church door. I was in the latter group.

I learned several lessons about church politics from this experience. My priest friends, who were skittishly looking over their own shoulders at the time, were not willing to stand up for me. They offered a shoulder to cry on and affirmed the injustice that had been done, but that was the extent of their help. I was left alone. But when two of their own were unceremoniously removed from the diocese, we lay folks were expected to raise our voices in loud protest and support.

When power and authority are abused, they must not be supported. For my husband and me, this meant withdrawing our time, talent and treasure, and we had given generously in all. Eventually, it meant walking out the door.

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MINNESOTA
Star Tribune

Article by: JEAN HOPFENSPERGER , Star Tribune Updated: October 10, 2013

Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is returning to the archdiocese offices in St. Paul for its second news conference this week Thursday, this time urging the archdiocese to seek out victims of two clerics accused of molesting children.

The group focuses on the Rev. Robert Kapoun, the “Polka Padre,” who was found liable for $1 million for abusing children in a jury verdict that was later overturned. The group says he is still a priest and living unsupervised.

The second is a Catholic brother that the group accuses of molesting 80 children.

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MINNESOTA
Patrick J. Wall

Before the recent revelations of child porn sitting in the Secret Archives of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul, most people never stopped to think about the role of a Archdiocesan Chancellor. Some may have an image of Thomas Beckett or a librarian type. But most, honestly, just scratch their head.

So, what is a chancellor supposed to do? And how did St. Paul Chancellor Jennifer Haselberger stumble upon child porn in Archbishop Nienstedt’s secret archives?

The office of Chancellor in the Roman Catholic Church is first and foremost to “take care that the acts of the curia are gathered, arranged and safeguarded in the archive of the curia”. (1983 CIC 482) This sounds a lot like a librarian, but the job also includes maintaining the entire inventory, or catalogue, of both the historical, secret and criminal archives.

What makes this job different than that of a librarian is that the cover up of clerical sexual abuse of minors in Saint Paul goes back to (at least) Archbishop Leo Binz in the 1960s. The cover-up documents have been stored at the Chancery on Summit Avenue as mandated by the Pope in the code of canon law. For instance, Father Jerome C. Kern’s file contains evidence the Archbishop was aware Kern was sexually abusing minor boys in 1969.

But why is there an explosion now when the Archbishop knew of the child porn in 2003?

The answer is simple: Chancellor Jennifer Haselberger.

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DEUTSCHLAND
Tagesspiegel

Der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, Robert Zollitsch, verfolgt die Vorgänge in Limburg “mit großer Sorge”. Noch will er sich nicht von Tebartz-van Elst distanzieren, kündigt aber ein Gespräch mit Papst Franziskus an. In Sachen gleichgeschlechtlicher Ehe ist er konkreter.

Es sollte keine Krisen-Pressekonferenz von Erzbischof Robert Zollitsch sein. Der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz betonte gleich zu Beginn, dass der Termin für seinen Auftritt in der Bundespressekonferenz an diesem Donnerstag seit Wochen festgestanden hatte. Er wollte über Papst Franziskus reden und über Anforderungen an die noch nicht gefundene neue Bundesregierung. Das tat er auch. Und doch stand ein Thema im Mittelpunkt: der umstrittene Limburger Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst. “Den Vorgang verfolgen wir aufmerksam und mit großer Sorge“, sagte Zollitsch und fügte hinzu: “Das bewegt mich sehr.”

Zollitsch forderte Tebartz-van Elst nicht zum Rücktritt auf, aber zur Selbstkritik. „Ich bin sicher, dass sich der Bischof gründlich mit der notwendigen Selbstkritik in dieser Entwicklung auseinandersetzt“, sagte Zollitsch. Über den von der Hamburger Staatsanwaltschaft ausgestellten Strafbefehl gegen den Limburger Bischof wegen Falschaussage wollte Zollitsch kein Urteil fällen. Allerdings sagte er auch, dass dies der erste Bischof sei, dem ein Strafbefehl ausgestellt worden sei. “Insgesamt nehme ich die Situation im Bistum Limburg sehr ernst“, betonte er.

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DEUTSCHLAND
T-Online

Wie kam es zur Kostenexplosion beim Bau der Limburger Bischofsresidenz?Bischof Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst wird vorgeworfen, die Mehrkosten selbst verursacht und trotz Aufforderungen für 2012 und 2013 keinen Haushaltsplan vorgelegt zu haben.

Die Steigerung der Kosten könne er sich nur so erklären, “dass der Bischof von Limburg entweder ein raffinierter Betrüger oder krank ist”, sagte das Mitglied des Vermögensverwaltungsrates des Bischöflichen Stuhls, Jochen Riebel, der “Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung”. Ein “normal denkender Mensch” veranlasse solche Ausgaben nicht.

Der Bischof habe die Steigerungen zum Teil selbst verursacht, sagte Riebel in mehreren Interviews. Den Bau der Residenz habe der Bischof geleitet, nicht sein Generalvikar Franz Kaspar, kommentierte er anderslautende Angaben des Bistums.

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GERMANY
Spiegel

The bishop of Limburg was already under fire for cost overruns on his luxurious new headquarters, and on Thursday he suffered another setback. Prosecutors have accused him of making false statements in affidavits.

He’s drawn criticism for his lavish lifestyle and cost overruns on his luxurious new residence, and now the Bishop of Limburg in Germany faces penal measures in a court case against SPIEGEL.

Prosecutors claim he made false statements in affidavits submitted in two civil claims against the magazine after it accused the cleric of flying first class during a trip to visit the poor in India. Prosecutors have since determined the statements he made were false and have now called for punitive measures, possibly including fines.

The decision comes just days after Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst was forced to admit earlier this week that the total price on his new bishop’s headquarters in Limburg, in the western state of Hesse, had risen to a whopping €31 million ($41.9 million).

Earlier this week, Hubertus Janssen, a retired Limburg priest who has remained close to the congregation, called on 53-year-old Tebartz-van Elst to step down, warning that the bishop had become a burden to Limburg and possibly to the Catholic Church. Priests and members of the church alike have been outraged by Tebartz-van Elst and his involvement in the lavish new bishop’s headquarters. The building, located adjacent to the city’s cathedral, was initially supposed to cost €2 million. Then, partly as the result of special requests made by Tebartz-van Elst, costs ballooned to €5 million. The cost of the bishop’s three and a half room apartment within the complex alone reached a cost of €2 million. The local Nassausische Neue Presse sparked further outrage on Wednesday when it reported that the bishop’s bathtub alone came at a cost of some €15,000.

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GERMANY
New Zealand Herald

BERLIN (AP) A German bishop already facing questions over his new multi-million euro (dollar) residence now has legal problems after prosecutors on Thursday accused him of lying to a court.

Chief Hamburg prosecutor Nana Frombach said in a statement that she had asked the court to fine Limburg Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst an unspecified amount for providing false testimony in a case he brought against Der Spiegel magazine.

Tebartz-van Elst’s office had no comment.

Tebartz-van Elst has been under pressure over the construction of a new residence complex and related renovations that his diocese confirmed this week cost around 31 million euros ($42 million). The Vatican had sent a senior official, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, to investigate complaints.

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GERMANY
Daily Mail (UK)

Mounting fury over Catholic bishop spending £25million on new palatial home in Germany as the Pope promotes a more humble lifestyle

By AARON SHARP

A German Catholic bishop faced pressure to resign on Wednesday after it emerged that his new palatial residence would cost £25m, over six times the original estimate.

Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, bishop of Limburg, was investigated by a Vatican envoy last month after protests in his diocese against lavish spending.

His luxurious choice of home is at odds with Pope Francis’s shift of the Church’s focus towards simplicity and poverty.

The soaring cost of the stately residence next to Limburg’s hilltop cathedral was made public by the diocese on Monday and was immediately criticised by churchgoers and officials.

Local Catholic Raimund Champert said: ‘Such prestige projects simply does not fit with Catholicism
‘The Church, like the Pope, has a responsibility to be humble and lead by example.

‘We are not in the Middle Ages anymore.’

Christoph Hefter, a lay member of the diocesan council, said: ‘The cost is shocking, it is beyond belief.’

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GERMANY
Economic Times

BERLIN: Pressure grew today on a German Roman-Catholic bishop under fire for building an extravagant multi-million-euro residential complex when prosecutors alleged that he also lied under oath.

Embattled Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, 53, of Limburg in Hesse state is accused of giving false statements in court in a case centred on a first-class flight he took to India to visit poor communities.

Prosecutors allege the bishop twice gave false statements under oath in a Hamburg court battle against news weekly Der Spiegel when he denied having told the magazine’s journalist that he flew only business class.

If found guilty, he would likely face a fine. The case adds to pressure on the bishop after laymen and clergy have voiced anger this week at his lavish spending on his ostentatious new bishop’s residence, where costs have ballooned to more than 31 million euros (USD 40 million).

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GERMANY
Reuters

BERLIN | Thu Oct 10, 2013

(Reuters) – The head of Germany’s Roman Catholic Church said on Thursday he would discuss with Pope Francis a scandal over a bishop who has been criticized for splashing out on a luxury residence and accused of lying under oath about a first-class flight.

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, head of the German Bishops’ Conference, said he took the situation in the Diocese of Limburg very seriously. His decision to take the matter to the pope may raise pressure on the bishop of Limburg to stand down.

Francis’ response to the case is being closely watched, because it may show how far he will go to promote frugality and simplicity in a church plagued for decades by sexual abuse scandals and questions about opaque financial transactions at the Vatican bank.

State prosecutors said they wanted Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, bishop of Limburg which is near Frankfurt, fined for making false affidavits about a first-class flight to India.

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PERU
Peru This Week

By Rachel Chase

Military bishop fathered a child with woman he met through church.

Guillermo Martín Abanto Guzmán, formerly bishop of Peru’s military ordinariate, has resigned his charge over a court order that he recognize the paternity of a child born in 2011.

According to Peru21, Abanto Guzmán (then 49) met 26-year-old Alexandra Daniela de la Lama Luna in 2009 when she sought out spiritual help in the wake of personal turmoil. Their relationship deepened over time, and Abanto Guzmán even visited the young woman’s house on several occasions. In 2011, De la Lama gave birth to a baby girl. Peru21 reports that Abanto Guzmán did not recognize the girl as his daughter at the time, in order to avoid creating a scandal; sources indicated to Peru21 that this action may have been taken with the consent of De la Lama.

Then in June of this year, De la Lama took Abanto Guzmán to court to demand that he recognize the paternity of the child. In July, Abanto Guzmán resigned his post as bishop, and now the court has ordered that he recognize De la Lama’s child as his daughter.

Peru21 reports that church authorities learned of the case, but were assured by Abanto Guzmán that his relationship with De la Lama was only sexual, and did not constitute a sentimental relationship. Investigative news program Punto Final also reported last week that the church had previously offered De la Lama a pension for her daughter if she agreed to keep quiet about the case.

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ISRAEL
YNet News

Eli Senyor
Published: 10.09.13

Elias Chacour, the archbishop of Akko, Haifa, Nazareth and all of Galilee of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church is suspected of sexually harassing a woman who works in the community he heads, Ynet learned on Wednesday.

Earlier this week Chacour was questioned under caution for a number of hours. He was released on bail under restricting conditions.

According to the police, the incident in question took place some five years ago and they are not aware of any others.

The woman filed the compliant some two years ago, but due to the suspect’s status, various law enforcement agencies had to give their authorization before an investigation was launched.

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ILLINOIS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Thursday, October 10, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, 314-862-7688 SNAPdorris@gmail.com

We are upset that Illinois’s archaic and predatory friendly laws prevent prosecutors from pursuing charges against Fr. Robert “Bud” DeGrand.

It’s now more important than ever that those who saw, suspected or suffered Fr. DeGrand’s crimes come forward. It’s especially crucial that they contact police immediately.

We particularly call on current and former Catholic employees who may have knowledge or suspicions about clergy sex crimes and cover ups to speak up. Silence only helps those who commit and conceal heinous acts against kids.

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NEW YORK/IRELAND
Democrat and Chronicle

Gary Craig, ROC October 10, 2013

Last week Liam Adams, the brother of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, was convicted in Belfast of raping and sexually assaulting his daughter between 1977 and 1983.

The girl was then between 4 and 9 years old.

The conviction has roiled Northern Ireland, with accusations that Gerry Adams – a driving force in the troubled region’s peace process – was aware of his brother’s crimes and tried to protect him from prosecution.

The conviction has revived an unusual saga in the life of Liam Adams, an episode when, in 1984, he was in hiding in New York City – and sheltered by Father Patrick Moloney at Bonitas House, the home for troubled teens.

The Irish journalist Ed Moloney, who has written extensively about the Irish Republican Army and the so-called “Troubles” in Northern Ireland, was the first to write of the episode.

“During the worst years of the Troubles, Bonitas House became the first port of call for many indigent and refugee IRA men, activists who were on the run from the authorities in Ireland or who wanted a break from Belfast or Derry and were in need of a fresh identity and a start in New York well away from the prying eyes of the FBI,” Moloney wrote.

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ROME
UPI

ROME, Oct. 10 (UPI) — A former Vatican priest arrested in connection with an alleged tax evasion scheme said Thursday he fears he will be poisoned for talking to investigators.

In a newspaper interview conducted through his lawyer, the Rev. Nunzio Scarano said, “I have told of episodes that could put me in danger,” ANSA news service reported.

“I am trying to be stronger than the fear and nightmares that torment me, but despite my prayers, I am certain that I will die by poisoning,” Scarano added.

The prelate had headed up a key Vatican accounting department until a month before he was arrested in June.

Italian police charge he conspired with a former Italian spy and a financial broker to secretly bring into the country $27 million allegedly acquired through tax evasion.

Scarano called himself “the scapegoat of a number of powerful Vatican figures.” He called on Pope Francis to talk to him “at least once” before judging him.

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CANADA
Cape Breton Post

Published on October 10, 2013

SYDNEY — Bishop Brian Dunn closed the Catholic Diocese of Antigonish renewal congress with a message of encouragement for the approximately 300 delegates in attendance, made of up parishioners, deacons, women, religious and clergy from all corners of the diocese.

“May the delegates of this congress be the salt of the earth and the light of the world for the renewal of our diocese and parishes, especially as we implement our diocesan pastoral plan,” Dunn said in his closing remarks.

The delegates spent the last four days at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre developing a set of actions and strategies that the diocese and all the parishes can begin to implement over the course of the next five years as a way to renew the church in eastern Nova Scotia. The congress theme was “Rebuilding My People, the Church.”

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CANADA
CBC News

The Diocese of Antigonish says it’s moving ahead with a five year plan for church renewal.

About 300 people from every parish around the diocese gathered in Membertou this week to endorse the plan.

David Nearing from Reserve Cape Breton helped organize the event.

He said the conference is a response to various issues: a decline in church attendance and the number of priests, the closure of churches and sexual abuse legal settlements against clergy.

The diocese also did a survey to find out what people see as their priorities for the church.

“The first one would be the revitalization of parishes and the revitalization of the dioceses itself,” said Nearing.

Bishop Brian Dunn said long standing issues such as the ordination of women, celibacy for priests, and exclusion from the Eucharist for divorced and remarried people were also discussed.

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ILLINOIS
Journal-Courier

Posted: Thursday, October 10, 2013
BY MARIA NAGLE Journal-Courier

The statute of limitations apparently has run out on a 33-year-old allegation of sexual misconduct against a former Jacksonville priest, but the county’s chief prosecutor is not ready to close the door on pursuing prosecution.

The accusation involves acts alleged to have occurred between the Rev. Robert “Bud” DeGrand and a minor in 1980, the same year DeGrand was ordained to the priesthood and assigned to Our Saviour Parish in Jacksonville.

Church officials have been investigating the 61-year-old priest after the allegation was received Sept. 9 by the Catholic Diocese of Springfield’s victim assistance coordinator. On Sept. 13, the Diocesan Review Board found the allegation to have “a semblance of truth” and recommended that Bishop Thomas Paprocki begin a preliminary investigation.

As required by a diocesan policy, State’s Attorney Robert Bonjean III and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services were notified.

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MINNESOTA
KSTC

[with video]

By: Cassie Hart

A priest appointed to create a task force to review policies dealing with sexual abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says recent allegations of clergy misconduct are “sickening.”

The Rev. Reginald Whitt put together a task force of six lay people to review how church officials have handled accusations of priest misconduct. The task force was convened after one priest pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct last year and another was accused of having child pornography.

Members of the group include Catholics and non-Catholics, as well as lawyers and a former officer. The group plans to come up with a report and recommendations for church officials to follow.

One member of the the new task force, Brian Short, a Minneapolis businessman and lawyer, promises the group will not sweep anything under the rug. “If people are looking for a white wash I know one member of the task force who will be handing in his resignation very promptly,” Short told reporters at a news conference at the Leamington Company, where he is CEO. “Talking to Father Whitt and others, that’s the last thing anyone wants.

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OREGON
Claims Journal

October 10, 2013

A man who prosecutors say falsely accused four Catholic priests in four states of sexually abusing him has admitted to a federal judge in Portland, Ore., that he filed a phony lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Portland.

Shamont Sapp told U.S. District Judge Anna Brown on Tuesday that he was pleading guilty to mail fraud.

The Oregonian says that as part of his plea agreement he’s expected to serve no more than 41 months in prison.

Prosecutors say Sapp was serving bank robbery sentences at the U.S. penitentiary in Allenwood, Pa., in 2008 when he began researching old news stories about pedophile priests.

The newspaper says the cost of disproving his claim against the Portland archdiocese came to more than $60,000.

Prosecutors say he also made false claims against priests in Arizona, Kentucky and Washington. He failed to win a judgment in any of those state

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OREGON
Oregonian

By Bryan Denson | bdenson@oregonian.com
on October 08, 2013

Shamont Lyle Sapp was an industrious inmate as he bounced between prisons from 2005 to 2011.

While serving a long stretch for 10 bank robberies, Sapp found time to falsely accuse four Catholic priests – in four states – of sexually abusing him, according to government prosecutors. Then he filed a lawsuit accusing the comic actors Jamie Foxx and Tyler Perry of ripping off his story as they put together a film project called “Skank Robbers.”

On Tuesday, the 50-year-old prisoner stood before a federal judge in Portland to take his lumps for filing a phony lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Portland.

“I plead guilty,” Sapp told U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown, adding that he felt better now that he’d told the truth about his crime.

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ROME
Catholic News Agency

Rome, Italy, Oct 9, 2013 / 10:23 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the Papal delegate overseeing Regnum Christi and the Legion of Christ, has announced that consecrated women of Regnum Christi will have their first general assembly later this year.

“The General Assembly should represent the whole association and, by analogy with what the Code of Canon Law establishes for general chapters of religious institutes, should be ‘a true sign of its unity in charity,’” Cardinal De Paolis wrote in an Oct. 4 letter to Regnum Christi’s consecrated women.

“The upcoming Assembly comes at the end of a long journey of spiritual renewal, is the first in the history of the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, and its principal purpose will be to conclude the revision of the Statutes.”

Cardinal De Paolis was appointed as governor of the Legion and of Regnum Christi by Benedict XVI in 2010, after an apostolic visitation determined the order needed “profound re-evaluation.”

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VATICAN CITY
Rome Reports

[with video]

October 9, 2013. (Romereports.com) The Vatican City State has passed a new law to promote financial transparency and to prevent illegal monetary transactions. According to the Vatican, the new law strengthens measures to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. It also establishes greater control over the parties it conducts financial activities with.

When it comes to international transactions, if 10,000 euros or more enter or leave the State, the money must be declared. It also imposes measures against those who threaten peace and international security.

The new law also regulates the collaboration and exchange of information both internally and internationally. Under the new measure, more responsibility is given to the Vatican’s Financial Information Authority, which is the entity that was established by Benedict XVI, precisely to combat money laundering and to supervise the Vatican Bank.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

After being deemed guilty at trial, he remains a priest today
On top of regular retirement pay, he gets a monthly “bonus”
Another predator is accused of molesting more than 80 kids
He abused a Twin Cities boy but St. Paul church officials stay silent
In 2005, local Catholic officials quietly settled the case but told no one
SNAP: “How many other child molesting clerics are still being hidden now?”

WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will prod the Twin Cities archbishop to aggressively seek out other victims of two child molesting clerics

–a Catholic brother accused of molesting 80 kids, and
–a priest who was found guilty of abuse by a jury, is still a priest, is unsupervised, lives in a $500,000 home and gets extra payments above his retirement.

They will also urge the archbishop to
— put all of his child molesting clerics in secure treatment centers and
— publicly explain why he secretly pays proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics.

WHEN
TODAY, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the St. Paul-Minneapolis Catholic archdiocesan headquarters (‘chancery office’), 226 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, MN

WHO
Several local concerned Catholics and two victims who belong to a self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Minnesota man who was molested by Minnesota’s notorious “Polka Padre”

WHY
1.Yesterday, Minnesota Public Radio disclosed that Fr. Robert Kapoun, who was found guilty of abuse at a trial, is getting paid a monthly “bonus,” not being supervised, lives in a $500,000 lakeside home and has not been defrocked.

[Minnesota Public Radio]

In a jury found that Fr. Kapoun repeatedly molested Dale Scheffler and awarded Scheffler $1 million. Later, an appellate court overturned the verdict because of the statute of limitations. In what SNAP calls “an extraordinarily cruel move,” archdiocesan officials sent Scheffler a bill for $6,019.10 for its legal expenses. m the archdiocese for its legal expenses.

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MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests

For immediate release: Wednesday Oct. 9, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com )

Ho hum. Another church abuse panel. It’s the same old, same old.

First, the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese had such a panel in 1995:

[St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese].

Second, on the national level, Catholic officials created a panel like this, made up of bishops, in the early 1990s. (For years, it was headed by St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop Harry Flynn, on whose watch Fr. Jonathan Shelley’s thousands of porn images were found but kept secret from police, prosecutors, parishioners and the public).

Third, in 2002, every archdiocese was mandated to create such a panel and a national church panel like this was set up.

[National Catholic Reporter]

Fourth, just last month, the Twin Cities archdiocese quietly created another clergy misconduct panel:

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ILLINOIS
SW News Herald

By DERMOT CONNOLLY • Friday, October 11, 2013
Groups such as the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) are calling for the removal of the Rev. Robert Stepek from his post as a police resource officer in Burbank,

Stepek was asked in 2006 by the Chicago Archdiocese to step down as pastor of St. Albert the Great Church in Burbank when he was accused of sexually abusing two brothers in the 1980. But he was hired the following year as a police resource officer in Burbank and continues to work there, with the backing of Mayor Harry Klein and other officials.

Klein has been quoted as saying he approved of hiring Stepek as a police resource officer because he “trusted in the goodness” of the priest he knew as a parishioner of St. Albert the Great. Stepek, who formerly was pastor of St. Symphorosa Church in Chicago’s Clearing neighborhood, was asked to step down from his Burbank parish after the archdiocese found reason to believe two brothers who had accused Stepek of sexually abusing them in the early 1980s.

Stepek, 58, maintained his innocence and filed an unsuccessful defamation suit against his accusers. But the archdiocese determined there was “reasonable cause” to believe the sexual abuse accusations, which date back to when he was serving at St. Symphorosa.

The case was privately settled out of court. However, according to a recent announcement from the archdiocese, a special Vatican council could not find sufficient evidence during two canonical trials to prove Stepek had molested minors but did find that he “engaged in behaviors inappropriate for a priest” and put restrictions on his duties.

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UNITED STATES
The American Conservative

By ROD DREHER • October 9, 2013

Two stories, sent by readers from the Catholic frontlines. The first from St.Paul/Minneapolis:

Thank you for covering this story in my Archdiocese. It’s like finding if Bill Clinton had been found sexting Monica in 2008, on stage, while stumping for his wife. People never learn.

Archbishop Nienstadt and his priests spent the last two years warning us the sky was going to fall on the issue of gay marriage. And while I am a cultural conservative and supported the marriage amendment, I thought a lot of the arguments for it were poor and the pro-SSM side had a better marketing strategy, and a better Constitutional argument. And I’m counting the days until we are subjected to the merited impossibility.

Anyways, my point is the Archbishop made this his big mission, passing the marriage amendment, and it failed. But, while this was going on, he dithered on, “Gee, is that handsome naked boy younger than 14? Let’s debate this some more and keep that priest in ministry. But secular society affirming a monogamous relationship between two men? This means war!”

I’m embarrassed. I don’t dare let my children serve at altar, for their own protection.

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UNITED STATES
Associated Baptist Press

A preacher tainted by unproven allegations of covering up sexual abuse is returning to a Southern Baptist seminary campus after a convention resolution urged “discernment” about identifying with individuals perceived as being soft on pedophiles.

By Bob Allen

A Calvinist preacher named in a lawsuit alleging what has been termed the largest evangelical sex-abuse scandal to date is scheduled to speak at an upcoming collegiate conference on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

C.J. Mahaney, pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, Ky., is listed on the seminary website among plenary speakers for the 20/20 Collegiate Conference themed “Ekklesia: God’s Perspective on the Church,” scheduled Feb. 7-8, 2014.

Other projected speakers include Southeastern Seminary President Daniel Akin and Russell Moore, new president of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Akin and Moore were among 77 evangelical leaders addressed in an open letter in February from a former Mahaney associate asking that they cease inviting him to speak at religious events pending outcome of a class-action lawsuit.

The former associate-turned-critic, Brent Detwiler, later accused Southern Baptist leaders of enabling sin by continuing to promote the embattled preacher while serious questions about his fitness for ministry remain unanswered.

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AUSTRALIA
The Australian Jewish News

YESHIVAH College in Melbourne has been dragged further into the mire of child sex abuse scandal, with an alleged victim, who claims he was repeatedly raped by a longstanding employee of the school, breaking his silence this week.

The alleged abuses happened some time ago, though The AJN has opted not to publish the dates as to conceal the identities of the victim and the alleged perpetrator, who remains in close contact with children at the school today.

The man, who was eight, or nine when the alleged incidents took place, claims he was lured to the college’s shul with the promise of chocolates and raped on the bimah “in front of the sefer torah”. He also claims he was also forced to perform oral sex and believes there to be at least one more victim of the alleged pedophile.

“After I was raped I was in shock and I went to the office and I was shivering and crying. I didn’t know what rape was because I was eight years old. I din’t know what sex was, so I didn’t have the words to say what happened,” the man said.

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AUSTRALIA
Failed Messiah

The alleged victim was reportedly, 8- or 9-years-old when the alleged rapes took place. He claims the alleged pedophile lured him into the Chabad synagogue in the Yeshivah College complex by promising him chocolates and then raped on the bimah “in front of the Sefer Torah.” He claims he was also forced to perform oral sex on the man.

Horrific Case Of Alleged Child Sex Abuse At Chabad School
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Chabad’s Yeshivah College in Melbourne has another horrific case of child sexual abuse, the Australian Jewish News reported.

An alleged victim claims he was repeatedly raped by what the AJN describes as “a longstanding employee of the school.”

(This appears to be the same case.)

The alleged perpetrator reportedly still is “in close contact with children at the school.”

The alleged victim was reportedly, 8- or 9-years-old when the alleged rapes took place. He claims the alleged pedophile lured him into the Chabad synagogue in the Yeshivah College complex by promising him chocolates and then raped on the bimah “in front of the Sefer Torah.” He claims he was also forced to perform oral sex on the man. There may be at least one more alleged victim of the alleged pedophile, as well.

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